


You Need a Study Break

by wjmoon (sodapeach)



Category: X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Short & Sweet, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21853579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodapeach/pseuds/wjmoon
Summary: Hangyul stays over at Wooseok’s while he studies for his last exam, and he learns that there are advantages and disadvantages of studying next to his boyfriend.
Relationships: Kim Wooseok | Wooshin/Lee Hangyul
Comments: 16
Kudos: 106





	You Need a Study Break

**Author's Note:**

> Title is my note to all of you who are suffering with finals this year. I know it’s hard, but you’re going to get through this. Even if things don’t turn out well, you did your best, and that’s all that matters. It’s okay to take a break and recharge, and I hope this helps you do that.
> 
> This is just a scene meant to give you the warm and fuzzies so it doesn’t really have a plot, but I hope you enjoy! Oh, I never write in present tense so if there are any mistakes YALL DIDNT SEE NOTHIN

Hangyul thought that high school finals were bad, but nothing compares to the strain at the end of each semester at university. Everything is weighted in a way that can damage him, he feels, and it’s been getting under his skin.  _ What if I’m not smart enough? What if I can’t do this? _

He knows deep down it doesn’t matter. He’s not going to medical school, and his parents never pressured him into becoming a prosecutor or anything, but still, the thought of failing himself and failing his family bears down on him in a way that he can’t ignore. There’s another person he worries about disappointing, and that’s Wooseok. 

Wooseok has never once said anything that could make him believe that he’s not good enough, but that hasn’t been able to change his doubtful heart. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if the day comes and Wooseok isn’t there anymore, but he does everything he can not to dwell on it. But still, in moments like these when the pressure becomes too much, the doubts set in, and all he can do is retreat within himself. 

That’s why when Wooseok takes his seat next to him quietly on the couch, Hangyul can’t look at him. He keeps his eyes on his busy laptop screen, the faint bluish light from it causing him to go out of focus. If Wooseok wants to watch tv or play a game, that’s his right. It’s his apartment, and he can do what he wants, and if Hangyul decides that he can’t concentrate, he can just go back to his own place.

But Wooseok is quiet like a cat with his legs folded underneath himself. He doesn’t say or do anything, but Hangyul can feel his gaze linger on him. He has such a powerful and curious stare. He doesn’t judge, but he thinks so loudly that anyone would be forced to look away if they aren’t used to it. Sometimes Hangyul himself isn’t used to it. 

He wishes he could read his mind sometimes, but he’s scared of what he might find. What if Wooseok doesn’t think of him like he used to? What if he’s bored? What if Hangyul fails his exams?

It doesn’t matter because he’s stopped typing, too aware to pretend like he knows what he’s doing, and Wooseok notices. He probably wanted to get his attention, but didn’t know the best way to go about it. He hasn’t gotten any attention in a while, but Hangyul is grateful that they haven’t started fighting because it.

They never fight, really. They never fully misunderstand each other, but they bicker enough that from the outside it might seem like fighting, but every time he goes against Wooseok to make his pretty cheeks flush in anger, it’s his silent I love you, and when Wooseok threatens him with all the frustration in the world, he knows it’s because he loves him back. But what if Wooseok gets tired of waiting for him? What if he’s at his final straw?

Before the thoughts can carry him away, Wooseok moves closer and places his head on his shoulder. The weight is foreign and familiar at the same time, and it shakes him out of it. “Are you having a hard time?”

“No,” he lies. “I’m just finishing up.”

“Do you need me to get you something?” Wooseok asks. “You haven’t moved in hours.”

“I’ve moved,” Hangyul disagrees, just to bother him.

“You’re going to turn into a giant man boulder and ruin my couch,” he scolds him weakly. “I’ll never get the dip out of the cushions.”

“It serves you right,” he says, returning to his typing once he sees that there isn’t anything to worry about. Maybe Wooseok is right that he’s been sitting there for too long.

“For what?!”

“I’m sure you did something,” Hangyul says. “It’s not like that would be a shock to anyone.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Wooseok grumbles. “Today.”

Hangyul hums and kisses him on the side of the head before returning back to his studies. He feels Wooseok sigh, and the doubtful feelings stir and maybe he just wants to sneak out a small reassurance “Do you want me to go?”

“No,” Wooseok says without a thought, and he feels a warmth in his chest that makes him want to keep studying. It’s conflicting because on one hand it motivates him, but on the other, it makes him want to stop whatever he’s doing and cling onto the older until Winter has passed. “I want you to move. I want you to eat something. I want you to blink more than once every five minutes.”

Hangyul looks at him and blinks. “Is that better?”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head no, and Hangyul kisses him on the tip of his nose. He loves the smallest parts of him the most. He doesn’t consider Wooseok small considering that they’re the same height, but he likes the parts that make him tiny like the tip of his nose and the roundness of his cheeks when he’s been eating well. He likes the curve of his ears, and the shape of his mouth when he pouts, the same way he does then when Hangyul pulls away only giving him that much.

“What?” Hangyul asks, wanting to hear him say it if mostly because it was because it embarrassed Wooseok to death to be affectionate towards him. He would rather bully him than say anything cute but the meaning was still the same.

“One kiss, and I’ll leave you alone,” he says.

“No you won’t,” Hangyul laughs, but he does it anyway. He doesn’t mind if Wooseok hovers over him quietly and complains that he doesn’t blink enough. But it recharges him, and maybe stretching his legs wouldn’t be awful. But first he wants to kiss Wooseok. He wants to feel his face in his hands as Wooseok smiles warmly against his mouth. He wants to feel his fingers tug gently at the back of his shirt. “You can’t.”

Wooseok sighs. “Why would you challenge me?”

“Do you think it’ll be fun for you to leave me alone to prove a point,” Hangyul asks.

“I don’t know, it might be,” he says.

It’s Hangyul’s turn to pout. He closes his laptop and sets it to the side before slumping back into the cushion with a frown on his lips that Wooseok will have to personally remove if he wants to see it gone. 

“I won’t leave you alone,” Wooseok says.

“I told you you wouldn’t after one kiss,” he smiles brightly. Wooseok’s face twists into a scowl, and that’s when he’s at his cutest. Hangyul hopes he’ll yell at him. He hopes he’ll reach out and bang his fist against his chest. He hopes he’ll sit on his lap to be annoying and prevent him from picking up his computer again. But Wooseok glares at him, but Hangyul isn’t buying it. He can see the way he’a fuming underneath the surface, and it only fuels him more. “Just admit that you’re predictable, and I’m right.”

Wooseok lets out a loud noise in frustration and throws himself at him only to bite him. Hangyul yelps in pain and wraps his arms around Wooseok to pull him to his chest. He bites his hair and yanks just enough to hear a tiny protest. “You’re the worst.”

“Am I?”

“No,” he pushes himself up, breaking free from Hangyul’s grasp to kiss him with enough force that it almost tips him over.

“I still have to study,” he warns against his lips, feeling the stir inside himself that makes him want to toss the computer to the side and pull Wooseok down with him.

Wooseok groans and nods. “But when your finals are over, we’re taking several days to recover.”

“Of course,” he says. “Thank you for being there for me.”

Wooseok blushes and turns away, taking his seat next to him again where he was before. “It’s my job.”

“Not everyone tries,” he reminded him. “You could hate me, and then be there for someone else.”

“You’re just studying,” Wooseok said, a temper to his voice because he hates it. He hates that Hangyul still has a wall up between him that he can’t tear down, but he’s patient, and he never complains. “If I can’t be there for you when you’re doing important things for your life then what’s the point? I just missed you a little and wanted a kiss, but I’ll wait for another one.”

He leans over and places his lips on Wooseok’s cheek. It feels damp and fevered, and he probably doesn’t even know that he’s getting sick.  _ Of course, he’s clingy when he doesn’t feel well.  _ He doesn’t worry about catching it because even if he does, his exams will be over, and they can just spend the holidays in bed together being miserable and threatening each other with used tissues and balled up cough drop wrappers.

“You feel warm,” he says. Wooseok hums. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I think so,” he says. “Why?”

He puts his hand on his forehead and frowns. “You’re toasty.”

“Toasty?” Wooseok laughs.

“I could fry an egg on your forehead,” he says. It’s not that bad yet. 

Wooseok reaches up and feels his face. “Well that sucks..”

Hangyul snorts. “You handle being sick weird.”

“I’m not sick yet, but now I’m doomed,” he says. 

“Your fate is sealed,” he says. “Do you want me to get you anything?”

“I’m supposed to get you something,” Wooseok scolds him. “That’s why I’m here.”

“I’m not sick,” he points out.

“I’m not either,” Wooseok says. “Yet.”

“What if I take a break, and we worry about you for a bit,” he says.

“It only counts because you’re taking a break.”

They get up, and Hangyul takes a minute to stretch. His whole body aches from being idle for too long, and if Wooseok wasn’t getting sick, he would ask him to massage his back for him, but he’ll just have to roll himself over the arm of the couch when he isn’t looking.

They go into Wooseok’s tiny kitchen together and find a bag of frozen bone broth in the freezer for Wooseok, but he needs vitamins and they don’t have any supplements. 

“I’m going to run to the store,” Hangyul says, walking off to grab his padded coat while Wooseok puts the frozen stock in a pan.

“For what?”

“You need orange juice,” he says. “That’ll keep you from getting sick. And me too, I guess.”

Wooseok follows him and frowns. “You should be studying. I’ll go, then.”

“You don’t need to go out in the cold, and I need to stretch my legs,” he says. “But give me some money, I’m broke.”

Wooseok breaks into a laugh that creases his eyes. 

“What, I’m serious,” Hangyul whines. “I’m just a broke college student trying to get my boyfriend his orange juice!”

“You just want snacks!” Wooseok accuses him.

Hangyul gasps in shock.  _ “What?!” _

“Don’t you take that tone with me! I know you!”

He covers his chest with his hands because the attack is just too personal. “I can’t believe you would say such a thing!”

“Am I wrong?!” Wooseok demands.

“No! I just can’t believe you would say it!”

An amused smile creeps across Wooseok’s lips as he thinks, and Hangyul has absolutely no idea what he might do next. This is when he’s the most unpredictable when he smiles like a cat toying with a mouse, but surely this isn’t the time for him to do something terrible. Surely he isn’t up to something. Wooseok spins on his heel and walks back to his bedroom and returns with his card between two fingers like it’s a weapon. Hangyul swallows nervously. He considers that he shouldn’t have asked, but he really is broke. That wasn’t necessarily a lie, and yes, he does want a snack, but is that so bad? 

“What?” He says, looking at the card and back at Wooseok.

Wooseok blinks, completely confused. “Did you not need money?”

Hangyul shakes himself. “Yeah, but this feels intense, and I don’t know if I like it.”

“I’m just messing with you,” Wooseok teases. “Go get us snacks.”

“Us?” He raises an eyebrow.

“If you don’t come back with orange juice and enough snacks to give one of us a stomach ache, I’m going to be very upset,” Wooseok says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Hangyul relaxes. The stress is obviously getting to him because why else in the world would Wooseok  _ giving him his card  _ come off as a threat. Wooseok hands it to him, and Hangyul promises to get him lots of snacks before he leaves, but when he comes back, he’s shocked at how late it is.

“That’s why I wanted you to stop,” Wooseok says. “You need to rest if you want to do well on your exam tomorrow.”

“That’s what that have energy drinks for,” he says. He hands Wooseok the juice and makes him drink it before opening a bottle for himself. The soup has heated through, and Wooseok rummages through the sacks of snacks while he cooks the packs of ramen for them.

“Did you get any ice cream?” he asks quietly like he’s worried he’ll say no.

“It’s in the bottom of one of the bags,” Hangyul says. “Oh, yeah, I guess you should put it in the freezer before it melts everywhere.”

“Wow, you sure bought a lot of candy,” he says to himself. “Did you mug Willy Wonka?”

“Dude had it coming,” he says. “And I bought a reasonable amount of candy.”

“I don’t know if this counts as reasonable,” Wooseok says as he shakes the contents out onto the table, and as the bags of gummies and chocolates spill out, he regrets the fact that Wooseok might be right.

“You said you wanted a stomach ache,” he defends himself.

“Oh, you were planning on sharing?” he teases.

“No, but it’s the thought that counts.”

Wooseok breaks out into a loud, gleeful laugh before tearing open one of the bags, ripping it down the back to use the plastic as a plate. He pops a jelly into his mouth and smirks as he chews on  _ Hangyul’s  _ candy. As if they don’t share everything unconditionally. As if Wooseok doesn’t constantly go out of his way to baby him even if people perceive Wooseok as the one who needs to be babied.

“You’re the worst,” Hangyul says. He walks over to him and places his head on Wooseok’s shoulder and paws at his waist. Without saying a word, Wooseok picks up one of the jellies and holds it up to feed him.  _ “Thank you.” _

They make a meal of soup, ramen, sausages, candy, and ice cream, and it would probably look sad from the outside, but for someone studying for exams, this is  _ fuel _ . His brain  _ needs  _ the toxins from all the processed foods to hold in the information until his finals are finished. That’s what preservatives are for! It’s right there in the name! And Wooseok has his bone broth and orange juice and his spicy noodles and the supplements Hangyul picked up before he forgot. And apparently his ice cream too. Their meal is not only good for Hangyul’s brain, but it is good for Wooseok’s health too, and that’s all that really matters. 

Neither one of them manages to get a stomach ache luckily, and Wooseok swears he feels better. But his cheeks are red, and Hangyul isn’t sure that’s a good sign. He offers to call his mom for him, but Wooseok waves him off. 

“You need to study,” he insists. “Since you ate something and took a walk, I’m happy, but if I feel like I’m getting sick, I’ll take myself to the hospital or something.”

“You think you can go without me?” He asks, a little upset. His heart races in a bad way, and he doesn’t know why hearing that hurt him so much.

Wooseok’s lips thin. “If it means you can pass.”

“I can take the class again.”

“I’m not going to die,” Wooseok laughs, keeping his distance for the sake of Hangyul’s health.

Hangyul pulls him to him and hugs him pitifully. “Don’t say the ‘D’ word.”

_ “Aigoo,” _ Wooseok teases dramatically, stroking the back of his hair to comfort him. “I’m not going to ‘D’ word, and you’re not going to have to take the class again.”

Hangyul tilts his head and sighs into his neck. “You should go to bed.”

“I want to stay up with you,” he says, and the words give him butterflies. It shouldn’t be that easy for him to make him soft, but maybe it’s because Wooseok isn’t the type to throw around sweet things unless he wants to say them, and Wooseok wants to be with him.

“When you say it like that, how am I supposed to say no,” he says. Wooseok moves towards him like he means to kiss him, but he can’t. Above anything else, he doesn’t want to get him sick, so he pulls away and puts some air between them. It’s for his own good, but the gesture makes him feel sick in a different way. Wouldn’t it be better to be infected?

“You can’t,” he says. “So go study and let me linger  _ in my own apartment.” _

Hangyul hums and gives in. Maybe it’s because he’s tired himself and doesn’t feel like trying to make Wooseok do anything, or maybe it’s because he thinks studying won’t be so bad with Wooseok looming over him. Either way, he wanders back to his spot on the sofa where his laptop is and resumes. 

Wooseok sits with him quietly and plays on his phone. It makes Hangyul nosy. He cranes his neck to see if he’s playing a game or if he’s on instagram or doing something else more fun than homework. Wooseok catches him looking and pokes his cheek. “This isn’t studying.”

“I’m just looking,” he says innocently.

Wooseok rolls his eyes and he shifts them towards Hangyul’s mouth and frowns. “This isn’t fair.”

“What?”

“I’m sick,” he sighs.

He leans over and catches his lips like they’ll flutter away. Wooseok pulls away quickly, concerned. “I don’t care if I get sick.”

“I do,” he insists. He steals another kiss again, and Wooseok swats him away. “Stop that!”

“No,” he laughs and does it again. Wooseok frowns, but he doesn’t stop him. “I need energy. This is giving me energy.”

“This is giving you germs,” Wooseok says, but he leans forward and kisses his cheek. “Last one.”

“No way,” he whines and drops his head on his shoulder.

“We have all the time in the world after your exams are over,” Wooseok reminds him.

“No,” Hangyul reminds  _ him.  _ “You’ll be sick when my exams are over, and unless I am sick too, there will be no more kisses.”

Wooseok looks away like he’s having a revelation. “Oh no…”

“Oh yes,” he says.

“What do we do?” Wooseok says, distressed. “There won’t be any kisses at all at this rate.”

“You either have to kiss me now, or maybe not again until the end of the year,” he says sadly. “It could be our last kiss of the decade and it was wasted on my cheek.”

“Unbelievable...” Wooseok says, but he gives in. Maybe it’s the food in his belly or his lack of sense at such a terrible hour of the morning, but he grabs him and kisses him deeply like he’s probably wanted to do since Hangyul’s exam period started. He tastes like candy, and Hangyul thinks that it’s worth the risk. Maybe not to his grades, but he probably studied enough, but he doesn’t mind getting a runny nose in exchange for some quality time with his boyfriend.

“I’m unbelievable, and you’re whipped,” he says.

“Who says,” Wooseok teases.

“Aren’t you?”

“Oh my god, shut up,” he says before kissing him again, this time hungrier, and it seems that Hangyul’s study break will go on a little longer than he expected, but he isn’t complaining.

But Wooseok is sick, and he isn’t thinking straight, so Hangyul stops him, earning a whine of discontent. He places the back of his hand on his forehead and frowns. “I don’t want to fool around like this. I promise if you’re feeling better in a couple of days, we can do anything you want, but you don’t need to get worked up.”

“You make it seem like I’m horny and feral,” Wooseok says.

“I’m saying this to myself, because I might be soon if we keep going, and I would really like to not make you any more sick if I can help it,” he says.

“Why are you the responsible one right now?” He complains, but he sits back and accepts Hangyul’s feelings. 

“I’m always the responsible one! Why does everyone think you are!”

“Because you’re the baby,” he says. “And I’m older!”

“Barely!” Hangyul says.

“By three years!”

_ “Oooh, the tired, sick, baby is pulling the age card to get what he wants,”  _ Hangyul mocks him.

“From now on, you must speak to me formally,” Wooseok folds his arms across his chest.

“No thank you,” Hangyul mimics the gesture.  _ “Seokie.” _

“Seokie?!” He scoffs. “That’s Mr. Seokie to you.”

“Mr. Seokie,” he repeats. “Mr. Seokie, I have homework to do, so if you’ll excuse me…”

Wooseok purses his lips together, but he can’t say anything because Hangyul  _ has  _ to study. They’ve played enough, and now it’s time to be serious. “Fine, Mr. Lee.”

Hangyul exhales sharply, a tingle shooting up his spine. “Watch it.”

“I’m just kidding,” Wooseok says sweetly and returns to scrolling on his phone knowing exactly what he did. Hangyul pouts and returns to his schoolwork, and it isn’t long before a head finds its way to his shoulder. He watches the screen without saying a word, and Hangyul would give anything to be able to close his computer and bury his face in his hair until one of them falls asleep, but he keeps it together. 

Wooseok falls asleep, snoring softly into his ear, and he worries that his neck will cramp up if he stays like for too long so he finally gives up on studying and wakes him up. Wooseok is pouty when he’s half asleep, but he lets him lead him into his bedroom. They both change and collapse into the pile of sheets, and he doesn’t remember falling asleep clutching onto Wooseok. 

But luckily the rest is what they need because the next day the answers will come to him naturally like he’s an expert in the topic, and Wooseok will feel better and his fever will be gone. They will finish off the rest of their snacks and make up for the time they lost during the month and begin the new year and the new decade together without any stress or illness looming over them.

Until Wooseok asks him to move in with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I can be found on twitter @seungteefs where I shitpost, cry about x1, and post writing updates which is usually just more crying aha 
> 
> I hope you liked it! 
> 
> Oh, in regards to the last line, that was just for fun; I don’t intend on writing a second part, but I will eventually post more gyulcat c:


End file.
